Ciambella leads Knights

Saturday

Dec 20, 2008 at 12:01 AMDec 20, 2008 at 6:31 AM

Vanguard and Trinity Catholic’s boys soccer teams battled back and forth for 80 minutes Friday night, but it was the Knights who came away victorious, 3-2, behind a stellar second half from striker Justin Ciambella.

By Kamau HostenCorrespondent

OCALA — Vanguard and Trinity Catholic’s boys soccer teams battled back and forth for 80 minutes Friday night, but it was the Knights who came away victorious, 3-2, behind a stellar second half from striker Justin Ciambella.Ciambella scored two second-half goals, including the game-winner in the 62nd minute to lead the Knights from behind.The Celtics owned the first half. Trinity passed crisply, was aggressive on offense and stifled the Knights — including limiting Ciambella’s touches on the ball.The Knights (14-1-2) drew first blood after a goal from Robert Herbert in the seventh minute. Trinity would strike back a few minutes later when sophomore Aubrey McPherson pounded in a free kick to tie the match.The Celtics (6-2-2)had other chances in the first half, including a header from Kyle Carney that came aggravatingly close to a score. Not settling for a tie at halftime, Trinity began pressing and controlling the ball in Vanguard territory. Wyatt Stephens got control of a loose ball in front of the Vanguard net and scored with only a few minutes remaining in the half.“I was proud of my boys,” Trinity Catholic coach Chigozie Offor said. “They did very well. They stayed to our plans and what we wanted to do.”The Knights came close with a Ciambella free kick moments after Stephens’ goal; however, Trinity goalkeeper Tim Steiner stopped the shot. Steiner had 15 saves for the Celtics.Play in the second half was all Vanguard.“We were a little sluggish. We were lackadaisical,” Vanguard coach Thomas Flynn said about his team’s first-half play. “(In the) second half … we put some high pressure on them and focused on what we had to do.”